Xanax, the generic version of alprazolam, does not affect every single person in the same way.

How Xanax affects you depend upon several different factors that include:

• Your age, weight, and metabolism
• Your mental and health status at the time you take the medication
• Frequency and amount of dosage you took

In case you are taking Xanax, an anti-anxiety medication for the first time, you should understand its side effects and potential risks and interactions before using it. Read this blog to learn about Xanax effects, what you should and should not feel while using Xanax, and other relevant details.

Xanax Effects After Using it Recreationally

Many people who take Xanax recreationally or without prescription feel sedation and calmness. Effects of snorting Xanax include a significant “high,” euphoria, relaxation, and sedation.

Unlike other abused drugs such as cocaine, which produce a strong “high,” Xanax abusers usually feel more relaxed, tired, and quiet. These feelings lead to falling asleep or f=passing out for a couple of hours. These are the effects of Xanax abuse when people take it recreationally.

Some people also report memory loss or blackout and cannot remember what happened for several hours. Higher doses have more substantial effects.

Effects of Xanax When Using For Anxiety or Panic Disorder

If you take Xanax as prescribed by a doctor, you may feel normal after the first dose. Xanax is mainly useful in the management of anxiety disorders and panic disorders. It produces sedating effects that can help alleviate anxiety symptoms and calm your body’s response to stress and anxiety. 

Taking Xanax and Alcohol Together

Taking Xanax and alcohol increases each other’s effects and slows down how the body clears the medication from your system. If you take a Xanax bar and then drink alcohol, you experience extreme sedation or lethargy and long-term memory loss.

It is advisable to avoid combining Xanax and alcohol. The combination may lead to dangerous Xanax bars side effects. These include:

• Trouble breathing
• Extreme sedation
• Confusion
• Seizures

Taking Xanax with Other Substances

Avoid combining Xanax with other substances that interact with it, be it a prescription or a non-prescription medication, and licit or illicit substances.

Xanax interacts with many medications, including:

• Antibiotics
• Opioids
• Oral contraceptives
• Antifungals
• Antidepressants
• Heartburn medications

They can prevent the pathway that’s responsible for eliminating the medication from the body. Over time, this leads to a toxic build-up of the medicine that eventually causes a Xanax overdose.

Talk to a certified health care professional about all the medications you take to ensure that you are not taking two interacting substances simultaneously. They will assess the risks and let you know about them.

Xanax Side Effects

The side effects of Xanax should be mild but detectable. If the medication has a significant impact on your body, contact a certified medical professional.

Symptoms to watch:

• Muscle weakness
• Extreme drowsiness
• Confusion
• Fainting
• Feeling lightheadedness
• Loss of balance

Also, seek hurried medical help if you experience any allergic reaction from Xanax. Signs of an allergic reaction include swelling of your tongue, lips, face, and trouble breathing.

 Also, if you have Xanax withdrawal symptoms, immediately contact a certified medical professional. The medication is potentially a habit-forming one, so people may develop a dependency or addiction to it, even without knowing.

Symptoms of Xanax withdrawal include

• Hostility
• Confusion
• Hallucinations
• Depressed mood
• Racing thoughts
• Seizures
• Uncontrolled muscle movements
• Thoughts of self-harm or suicide

Does the Dose Change the Way Xanax Affect You?

The doses of Xanax are available in milligrams (mg), including:

• Xanax 0.25mg
• Xanax 0.50mg
• Xanax 1mg
• Xanax 2mg

The long-term effects of Xanax become much more significant as you increase the dose.  Doctors generally recommend Xanax users to start with the least possible dose. Until the patient gets to know how the medication affects them, it is better to take the lowest dose and increase it accordingly.

High doses of the medication can be fatal, both for first-time users and people who have been using Xanax for the past few weeks or months, and even years. Never take a higher dose than prescribed.

Duration of Xanax Effects

You should take Xanax bars by mouth, and it gets absorbed readily by the bloodstream. Some people start experiencing the effects of Xanax within 5-10 minutes of oral administration. Almost every person who takes the medication feels its effects within an hour.

However, Xanax effects are brief. Most people feel their strong effects for two to four hours. “Fuzzy feelings” or lingering effects of the medication may stretch out beyond that for a couple of hours more.

How long Xanax takes to affect you depends upon several factors, including:

• Your age, weight, and metabolism
• Other medications and substances you take

Effects of Xanax Withdrawal

Symptoms of Xanax withdrawal typically begin 2-7 days after the last dose taken, and they can last for about 2-8 weeks.

Effects of Xanax withdrawal include:

• Aggression
• Nervousness
• Restlessness
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Seizures
• Poor coordination
• Sleep problems
• Suicidal thoughts
• Worsening anxiety or panic attacks